Before The Beastie Boys became icons of hip-hop, they were a hardcore punk band called The Young Aborigines.

Members Mike Diamond (Mike D) and the late Adam Yauch (MCA) played in the band with their New York schoolmates Berry and drummer Kate Schellenbach, which went on to become The Beastie Boys - a group that would change the face of rap music.

Berry, who is credited with coming up with the band's name, left after releasing their debut EP 'Polly Wog Stew' in 1982 and was replaced by Adam 'Ad-Rock' Horovitz.

He died at a hospice in New York yesterday at the age of 52, having suffered from frontal lobe dementia. His death comes a little over four years after Adam Yauch died of cancer at the age of 47.

R.I.P.